Kiln.



PATENTED APR. 14', 1903,.

C. E. WATTS.

KILN.

APPLIOATION run]: was 14. 1902.

' 2 sums-sum 2.

I0 MODEL.

qvitneaoe s co vuoruumlz, WASHIHBTOm a, c.

No. 725,519. PATENTED APR.14,1903;

c. E. WATTS.

KILN.

APPLICATION PILED JUNE 14, 1902.

.NO MODEL.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WATTS, on BRAZIL, INDIANA.

.KILN.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Paar- N0. 725,519, dated April 14, 1903.

Application filed June 14, 1902.

citizen of the United States, residing at Brazil, in the county of Clayfiand State of In- 5 diana, have inventeda 'new'and useful Improvement'in Kilns, of which the following box, the lower end of said grate-bars resting,

is aspecification; I I v I This invention relates generallyto kilns, and more particularly to kilns intended for burning pottery and similar articles.

The object of myinventionis to provide a pottery-kiln wit-h anaappliance whereby heat which ordinarily escapes from the kilnafter the firing operation has been completed is 5 conducted to one or more kilns-which have been filled, but which have not vbeen fired, therebyutilizing the 'heatfrom the burned or fired kilnto effect a drying of the articles within the kiln or kilns to be fired.

With this object in viewthe inventionconsists, essentially, in surrounding a kiln with a due, said flue having a plurality of ducts or passages leading thereto and which communicate with the fire-boxes, said flue having a series of branch pipes or fines leading therefrom and which connect with one or more kilns for the purpose of conveying heated air to the said-kilns. I

The invention consists also in certain details-of construction and novelties of combination, all of which will befullydescribed hereinafter and pointed out in the claims. 7 In the drawings forming partof this specification, Figure 1 tea central vertical section 5 taken through'a kiln provided with my im-' provement, the chimney being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail faceview of the firebox,showin g the grate-bars arranged in place. Fig. 3 isa horizontal sectional 'view taken tion I utilize a pottery-kiln A-,which is pref"- erably circular in shape'andprovided withthe usual arched dome. Doors orentrances A are arranged in the sides of the kiln at opposits points for the purpose of loading and through the kiln adjacent to the-bottom of Serial No. 111,734. (No model.) I

unloading the kiln." A series of fire-boxes B are arranged at suitable pointsin the side walls of the kiln, the fuel being deposited upon the grate-bars C,gwhich are'supported at their upper ends upon thecross-bar C,

extendinga'cross th uppeli'end of the fireupon a horizontal bar extendingtransversely across the fire-box. 'A' draft pocket B, said pocket or fine D being open at the top,

and it will of course be understood'that there is a pocket or flue arranged in connection with each fire-box. I

V A main flue Eis arrangedheneath the floor k of the kiln and connectswiththe chimney F, sothat ordinarily the-heat and products of combustion generated in the fire-box pass upwardly. through the pockets or flues "D and are then deflected downwardly over the articles to be'burned and out through the flue E to the chimney. The burning operation is continued until the-articles withinthe' kiln have been sufficiently burned. The utilizae tion of the heat remainingin the kiln after the firing operation has been completed is one of the essential points of; my invention, and Ipropose to utilize this'heat by conducting it to one or more adjacent kilns for the purpose of drying the articles contained therein; and in order to conductthe heat from the fire-kiln to thedrying-kiln I employ a flue I, which is preferably built completely around the kiln below the floor-li'ne-of the fire-boxes and close thereto. Each fire-box communicates-with the line I through the medium of l aduct or passage K, said 'ductor passage being closed at its upper endby means ofa cap or c'over-L while the fire-box is not used, as most clearly'shown'in 'Fig. 4. After the firing operations have been completed the gratebars O are removed and the [front opening of the fire-box is closedby-means of a plate M,

which is thoroughly 'cemented'around the' edges to prevent the escape of heat. The cap or cover L is removed from the ductor passage K-just prior to closing the front entrance ofthe fire-box. A damper H is arranged in the main flue E, adjacent to "the.

chimney F, and bylowering the said damper the escape of heat through the chimneyis cut off, and cap plates or covers L being removed it is obvious that the heat must pass from the kiln A down through the pockets or flues D and into the flue or pipe I through the ducts or passages K, and from the flue or pipe I the heat passes through the branch pipes I to one or more kilns and is utilized for drying the articles contained therein. A'manhole G is arranged in the fiue E, also adjacent to the chimney, and. is provided with a cap or cover G, which is raised when the damper H is closed.

N indicates a damper which is adapted to close the duct or passage K, leading from the flue E into the flue I, it being obvious that such damper is needed when the flue E is employed for conducting the products of combustion to the chimney F. The advantage of the duct or passage K will also be apparent to every one, as it is obvious that a considerable portion of the head would be within the flue E after the firing operation had been completed, and the greater portion of this heat is therefore immediately conducted into the fiue I, while that portion of the heat within the kiln proper is conducted to the flue through the pockets D, fire-boxes, and ducts or passages K.

It will thus be seen that I provide a very simple appliance or apparatus which can be used in connection with most of the potterykilns now in use and by means of which allof the heat contained within the kiln after the firing operation has been completed can be utilized in one or more adjacent kilns for the purpose of drying the articles contained therein.

In practice I propose to provide the damper H with a counterbalance-weight H, which is connected to a rope or chain 11 that runs up over a pulley H carried by a bracket 11*, secured to the chimney F, then down, and is connected to a damper by means of a staple.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a kiln having a main flue and a damper arranged therein, a

flue surrounding the said kiln, a plurality of fire-boxes, a series of ducts or passages connecting the fire-boxes of the kiln with the flue surrounding the said kiln, the plates for closing the front sides of the fire-boxes, a duct connecting the two fines, a damper arranged therein, a manhole leading to the main flue, and a cap adapted to close the manhole, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a kiln, of a pipe surrounding the lower portion of the kiln, fire-boxes arranged around the kiln, a duct or passage connecting each fire-box of the kiln with the said pipe, a cover for closing the upper end of said duct or passage, and means for closing the front side of the firebox, substantially as specified.

'3. The combination with a kiln having a main flue arranged beneath the same, said flue being provided with a damper, a pipe surrounding the kiln and provided with aseries of ducts connecting the said fine with the fire-boxes of thekiln, a passage connecting the main flue with the pipe surrounding the kiln, and a damper adapted to close the said passage, a manhole communicating with the fine and opening outside of the kiln,and means for closing said manhole, substantially as specified.

4:. The combination with a kiln having a series of fire-boxes, each fire-box having a pocket or fiue connected therewith, of the detachable grate-bars, the plates for closing the fronts of the fire-box, the main fiueleading to the chimney and provided with a damper, a fine surrounding the kiln and provided with a series of ducts or passages communicating with the bottom of the fire-box, the cap-plates orcovers for closing the said ducts or passages when not in use, a duct or passage connecting the main fine with the flue surrounding the kiln, and the damper adapted to close the said flue,substantially as speoified.

CHARLES E. WATTS.

Witnesses:

R. M. H. BRITTON, O. P. KERR. 

